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HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER NOTEBOOK: Skowhegan girls rewarded with win

Last spring a group of girls at Skowhegan made a commitment to improve their soccer game by playing in an indoor league and throughout the summer. Friday, the Indians were rewarded for their effort, breaking a 48-game winless streak dating back to 2009, with a 2-1 win over Messalonskee.

Last spring a group of girls at Skowhegan made a commitment to improve their soccer game by playing in an indoor league and throughout the summer. Friday, the Indians were rewarded for their effort, breaking a 48-game winless streak dating back to 2009, with a 2-1 win over Messalonskee.

“The whole team was really excited,” Skowhegan coach Steve Bodge said. “The kids have been putting in the time, we are playing much better and we are competing.”

Three players, played the entire game for the Indians, one of those, senior Renee Libby, has been on the team since she was a freshman without ever tasting victory. Libby is the only senior on a squad that measures 42.

“Renee, Kaitlyn Therriault and Christina Caggiano played the entire game,” Bodge said. “I was happy for Renee, she has played well for us this season.”

Skowhegan scored just one goal, in 14 games last year, the Indians put one in the net in their opener and followed with two more against Messalonskee. Trailing 1-0 at halftime against the Eagles, Skowhegan’s Tracey Swanson and Cailee Manzer scored back-to-back goals in the second half in a one minute 21 second span to secure the win.

“With one senior I’m confident in saying this is a building year,” Bodge said. “We just wanted to compete this year, stay in games and have a chance.”

Skowhegan’s 0-47-1 (the Indians notched a 1-1 tie with Brewer in 2010) streak is over and now the Indians are looking to continue the improvement.

“You can’t get two or three victories without the first one,” Bodge said. “We have a young offense and defensively we are starting to hold our own.”

• • •

Winslow senior Gabe Smith is off to a fast start this season scoring nine of the Black Raiders 13 goals in the first, three games. Winslow is 2-0-1 entering the week.

Smith opened the season scoring all five of his teams goals in a 5-2 win over Leavitt, he followed with two in a 2-2 tie with Belfast and put away two more in a 6-0 win over Morse.

Smith is quick, fast and ready to pounce on any opportunity that presents itself. When he sees a defense playing a high line or running the offside trap, Smith knows that a scoring chance will present itself quickly.

“I’m sure teams are going to figure things out,” he said. “We have other good scorers like Evan Clark, David Grant and Taylor Roy. All of them have the ability to finish. Our scoring could be more balanced and I’m sure it will be as teams find ways to stop me.”

Winslow features a quality team, even with the loss of a talented group of players from last season and expectations are for the Black Raiders to make a strong run in the Eastern B tournament.

“I think we can go deep into the playoffs,” Smith said. “We have good players who can do that.”

Thursday the Black Raiders will travel to Camden Hills for a tough game against the Windjammers, that will give them a good indication of where they are.

• • •

Mt. View boys returned size and experience from a team that finished 13-4-0 last season. Little did the Mustangs know they would also gained a talented foreign exchange player in Lorenzo Milani, of Italy.

Milani has scored four goals in the last two games helping Mt. View to a 3-0-0 start.

Often it takes time for a foreign exchange student to become part of the team considering the cultural change, the differences in game at the high school level along with the social impact on the student. According to Hink, none have been a problem for Milani.

“It was the perfect situation for the team and Lorenzo, it just works,” Hink said. “He works very hard and so does the team.”

When looking at the opening games of the season, Hink was thinking 2-1-1 would be a good start. The Mustangs are 3-0-0 with a number of potential starters out with injuries and other issues. Milani’s presence has helped relieve some of those problems.

“He is a physically solid player, strong and in shape,” Hink said. “We have some kids out and not a full squad yet. We’ve been getting a little tired and have to be careful about subbing but players will be returning soon and hopefully we can continue what we are doing.”

• • •

University of Maine at Farmington junior and former Waterville standout Kayla Tuttle scored three goals in the Beavers season opening 10-1 win at Wheelock College in Boston. Tuttle took eight shots in the game putting seven on target.

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